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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1,.

- H. G. LANGE.

STEREOTYPE CASTING MACHINE.

No. 443,662. Patented Dec. 30,1890.

HIHINNIIMW! *4 3 H G N A L G H STEREOTYPE CASTING MACHINE.

(No Model.) 3 SheetS-Sheet 3.

- H. G. LANGE.

STERBOTYPB CASTING MACHINE.

N0. '443,662. Patented De0. 30, 1890.

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' tical plane alongside the bed.

metal is poured in at the end opposite the UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

HENRY G. LANGE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES E. STRONG,

OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 443,662, dated December30, 1890.

Application filed September 8, 1890.

To alt whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY G. LANGE, a citizen of the UnitedStates,,residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Stereotype-CastingMachine, which are fully set forth in the following specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partthereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved means forautomatically and with uniformity clamping the cover onto the matrix-bed of a stereotype-casting machine preparatory to running in themetal, and for antomatically releasing the cover from the binding ofsuch clamping device when the casting is about to be removed.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the stereotype-casting machine of afamiliar construction, except as to my new clamping devices, which areshown thereon, the bed being in upright position, as when the materialis being poured in during casting and the cover being therefore shownclamped to the bed. Fig. 2 is a similar side elevation showing the bedhorizontal, as when the cast is completed ready to be removed, the coverbeing shown released from the clamp, but still closed in full lines, butin open position in dotted lines. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail innerside elevation of one of the clamping-cams, showing one of the trunnionson which the bed swings, and showing the cross-shaft ot' the frame,which acts as a stop for the cam, said trunnion and cross-shaft being insection at aver- Fig. at is an axial section through the bod-trunnionand its bearing. Fig. 5 is an end elevation looking in the directionindicated by the arrow 5 on Fig. 2.

A is the frame in which the bed swings. It comprises, with otherfamiliar parts, the upright standards A, which afford bearings for thebed-trunnions.

'3 is the matrix-bed.

C is the cover or box, the same being pivoted to the bed at c at one endof the latter.

C is the mouth or funnel at which the hinge or pivot of the cover to thebed.

The machine has the usual devices for looking the bed in horizontalposition and for lock ing the cover in open position when the bed ishorizontal.

D D are the clamping'cams. They are hung 5 3 on the bed-trnnnions B B,respectively, between the bed and the bearing-standards A, as seen inFig. 4. I

D is a cam groove or slot in the upper arm of the pivoted cam D, havingits outer bound- 6o ary eccentric to the axis of the trunnions.

C is a stud, which projects laterally from the edge of the cover C andenters the camslot D at one end of the slot as the bed swings up fromhorizontal position. The outerboundary of the slot at the end at whichthe stud thus enters is farthest from the axis of the bed, so that asthe bed continues to swing upward toward its vertical position the studis drawn in toward the axis of the bed, thereby drawing the cover downtoward the bed, and at the limit of the upward swinging movement of. thelatter, when the stud has reached the limit of the cam'slot, the coveris by the engagement of the stud in the eccentrio-slot clampedpositively and tightly onto the bed, this position being reached, asstated, when the bed is at its proper upright position adapted forreceiving the melted metal, which is then poured in at the funnel end inthe customary manner.

In order that the box may be swung by the hand of the operator slightlyfrom the vertical position to a position a little inclined, as it issometimes necessary and always desirable to be able to swing it whenpouring the metal, and that this variation of position may be effectedwithout relaxing the clamping to any degree, the cams D are not maderigid, as they otherwise might be, with the standards, but are shownhung on the trunnions and have thelower arm D extended down to the crossshaft or bar E and are provided at their lower end with a slot D throughwhich said cross-bar passes, said slot being in the o are of a circleabout the axis of the bed and permitting the cams to swing on thetrunnions a distance corresponding to the length of that are slot, thecams being stopped at the limit of such swinging movement by thecrossshaft E in the slots It will be understood that the first pressureexperienced by the cam from the stud C as it enters the eccentric groovein the upper arm of the cam will tend to swing the cam on the trunnion,and said pressure will eventually so swing the cam until it is stoppedby the 'end of the slot reaching the shaft E, that thereafter during themovement of the bed toward the vertical position the cam is unchangeablein position as if fixed to the standard, and that when the stud (1 hasreached the end of the eccentric camslot and the cover is bound tightlyon the bed the frictional engagement of the stud in the slot will besufficiently positive so that the bed and cover and the cams will allswing together to the extent of the are slot I) in thelower arm of thecam. This device removes all necessity for the usual removable clampingjaws or clamping-bolts and serves to secure the bed and cover andobviates all necessity for special attention of the operator to thatfeature in working with the machine, the clamping being automaticallyperformed in the act of bringing the box to ,the vertical positionnecessary in order to charge it with the metal. In like manner theclamping is undone and the cover released from the bed automatically bythe movement of the bed, which brings it into the horizontal positionnecessary for removin g the casting.

For each of the cams D a spring-bar h is provided, which is secured atone end to the frame and at the other end engages the cam, tending toresist the swinging of the latterin the direction in which it is forcedby the movement of the bed toward vertical position. As illustrated, theengagement of the springs with the cams is effected by a lug orprojection (Z on each of the cams, behind which the end of the spring islodged. These springs thus act as buffers to prevent the jar which mightotherwise be attendant upon too sudden stoppage of the bed at the limitof its movement. They also assist in starting the bed when it is to beswung away from thatposition. 13y causing the buffer-springs to actagainst the cams instead of directly against the bed they are made toserve the purpose of holding the cams in engagement with the studs onthe bed, so that the clamping is not relaxed during the slight movementof the bed which is permitted by the slots D.

I claim- 1. In a stereotype-casting machine, in combination with theframe and the casting-box journaled therein, cams D, adjacent to thetru11nion-bearings of the box and having the cam-grooves whose operatingboundary is eccentric to the axis of the box, the cover of the box beingprovided with studs projecting laterally therefrom in position to enterand move in the cam-grooves as the box is swung from horizontal tovertical position, whereby the movement of the box from horizontal tovertical position causes the cams to clamp the cover onto the bed andthe reverse movement releases the cover from such clamping,substantially as set forth.

2. In a stereotype-casting machine, in combination with the frame, thecasting-box supported in bearings thereon and adapted to swing in suchbearings from horizontal to vertical position, cams D, pivoted about theaxis of such box and adapted to swing about said axis, and stopped onthe frame at the limits of a short swinging movement, said cams havin gthe grooves 1), whose operating boundary is eccentric to the axis of thebox, the cover of the box being provided with studs to engage and movein said cam-grooves, whereby the box and cover and cams are clampedtogether during the movement of the box toward vertical position, andthus clamped together have short range of oscillation near the verticalposition, subst-antiallyas set forth.

In combination with the frame and the casting-box journalcd inhorizontal bearings thereon and adapted to oscillate between horizontaland vertical position about said bearing, cams D, pivoted about the axisof the box, having at their upper ends the eccentrically-bounded groovesD and at their lower end the slots D, the box having studs which enterthe grooves while the box is swinging from horizontal to verticalposition, and the shaft or bark] of the frame extending through theslots I) to serve as a stop for the swing ing movement of the cams, allsubstantially as set forth.

4. In combination with the cam and the casting-box journalcd inhorizontal bearings thereon and adapted to oscillate between horizontaland vertical position about said bearings, cams D, pivoted about theaxis of the box, having at their upper ends the eccentric grooves D andat their lower ends the slots D, the box having studs which enter theeccentric grooves while the box is swinging from horizontal to verticalposition, and the shaft or bar E of the frame extending through theslots D to serve as a stop for the swinging movement of the cams, andsprings reacting between the frame and the cams, respectively, andtending to resist the swinging of the latter in the direction in whichthe movement of the box away from horizontal position tends to forcethem, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twowitnesses, at Chicago, Illinois, this 3d day of September, 1800.

HENRY (1. 'LANGE.

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. STRONG, CHAS. S. BURTON.

